Alcohol strategy evaluation

Assessment of the added value of the EU strategy to support Member States in reducing alcohol-related harm

Client: DG SANCO

In order to reduce alcohol-related harm, EU-level support and coordination can usefully complement Member States’ actions by helping to ensure consistency across national policies, tackling cross-border problems, fostering exchanges of information and identifying and disseminating best practice. The main aim of this project was to provide evaluative insights for the European Commission to further support Member States’ efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm. More precisely, the project conducted a sound and evidence-based assessment of the added-value of the EU strategy to support Member States in reducing alcohol-related harm.

This strategy was launched in 2006 and has three key priorities:

1. protecting young people, children and the unborn child;2. reducing alcohol-related injuries and deaths in road traffic;3. preventing alcohol-related harm among adults and in the workplace;4. informing, educating and raising awareness of the impact of harmful alcohol consumption and of appropriate consumption patterns;5. developing and maintaining a common evidence base.

The assessment consisted of three broad tasks. The first task was an assessment of the Committee on National Alcohol Policy and Action (CNAPA), which coordinates actions and policy development among Member States, as well as of related EU actions to support policy development in Member States. The second task involved assessing the European Alcohol and Health Forum (EAHF) as well as the actions undertaken by its members. The third task, which partly built upon the previous two, was an assessment of the overall EU strategy process and its added value.

Information was gathered through desk research, including an analysis of the ‘commitments’ made by EAHF members; three online surveys of (1) CNAPA members, (2) EAHF members, and (3) external experts and officials; and follow-up interviews. In addition, CNAPA and EAHF advisory groups provided further review and input for the assessment. The study team made presentations for discussion at CNAPA and EAHF plenary meetings, and at meetings of the inter-service steering group for the review of the strategy. The draft final report, which incorporated comments from the two advisory groups as well as the inter-service group, presented the results for each task as well as possible ways to improve the effectiveness of EU action.